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With¡¡the¡¡arrival¡¡of¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Sohlberg¡¡and¡¡then¡¡of¡¡Antoinette¡¡Nowak¡¡as¡¡factors¡¡in¡¡the¡¡potpourri£»¡¡the¡¡situation¡¡became¡¡more¡¡difficult¡£¡¡¡¡Humanly¡¡fond¡¡of¡¡Aileen¡¡as¡¡Cowperwood¡¡was£»¡¡and¡¡because¡¡of¡¡his¡¡lapses¡¡and¡¡her¡¡affection£»¡¡desirous¡¡of¡¡being¡¡kind£»¡¡yet¡¡for¡¡the¡¡time¡¡being¡¡he¡¡was¡¡alienated¡¡almost¡¡completely¡¡from¡¡her¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡grew¡¡remote¡¡according¡¡as¡¡his¡¡clandestine¡¡affairs¡¡were¡¡drifting¡¡or¡¡blazing£»¡¡without£»¡¡however£»¡¡losing¡¡his¡¡firm¡¡grip¡¡on¡¡his¡¡financial¡¡affairs£»¡¡and¡¡Aileen¡¡noticed¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡worried¡¡her¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡was¡¡so¡¡vain¡¡that¡¡she¡¡could¡¡scarcely¡¡believe¡¡that¡¡Cowperwood¡¡could¡¡long¡¡be¡¡indifferent£»¡¡and¡¡for¡¡a¡¡while¡¡her¡¡sentimental¡¡interest¡¡in¡¡Sohlberg's¡¡future¡¡and¡¡unhappiness¡¡of¡¡soul¡¡beclouded¡¡her¡¡judgment£»¡¡but¡¡she¡¡finally¡¡began¡¡to¡¡feel¡¡the¡¡drift¡¡of¡¡affairs¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡pathos¡¡of¡¡all¡¡this¡¡is¡¡that¡¡it¡¡so¡¡quickly¡¡descends¡¡into¡¡the¡¡realm¡¡of¡¡the¡¡unsatisfactory£»¡¡the¡¡banal£»¡¡the¡¡pseudo¡¡intimate¡£¡¡¡¡Aileen¡¡noticed¡¡it¡¡at¡¡once¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡tried¡¡protestations¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨You¡¡don't¡¡kiss¡¡me¡¡the¡¡way¡¡you¡¡did¡¡once£»¡¨¡¡and¡¡then¡¡a¡¡little¡¡later£»¡¡¡¨You¡¡haven't¡¡noticed¡¡me¡¡hardly¡¡for¡¡four¡¡whole¡¡days¡£¡¡What's¡¡the¡¡matter£¿¡¨
¡¨Oh£»¡¡I¡¡don't¡¡know£»¡¨¡¡replied¡¡Cowperwood£»¡¡easily£»¡¡¡¨I¡¡guess¡¡I¡¡want¡¡you¡¡as¡¡much¡¡as¡¡ever¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡don't¡¡see¡¡that¡¡I¡¡am¡¡any¡¡different¡£¡¨¡¡He¡¡took¡¡her¡¡in¡¡his¡¡arms¡¡and¡¡petted¡¡and¡¡caressed¡¡her£»¡¡but¡¡Aileen¡¡was¡¡suspicious£»¡¡nervous¡£
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Chapter¡¡XVIII
The¡¡Clash
The¡¡peculiar¡¡personality¡¡of¡¡Rita¡¡Sohlberg¡¡was¡¡such¡¡that¡¡by¡¡her¡¡very¡¡action¡¡she¡¡ordinarily¡¡allayed¡¡suspicion£»¡¡or¡¡rather¡¡distracted¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¡Although¡¡a¡¡novice£»¡¡she¡¡had¡¡a¡¡strange¡¡ease£»¡¡courage£»¡¡or¡¡balance¡¡of¡¡soul¡¡which¡¡kept¡¡her¡¡whole¡¡and¡¡self¡possessed¡¡under¡¡the¡¡most¡¡trying¡¡of¡¡circumstances¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡might¡¡have¡¡been¡¡overtaken¡¡in¡¡the¡¡most¡¡compromising¡¡of¡¡positions£»¡¡but¡¡her¡¡manner¡¡would¡¡always¡¡have¡¡indicated¡¡ease£»¡¡a¡¡sense¡¡of¡¡innocence£»¡¡nothing¡¡unusual£»¡¡for¡¡she¡¡had¡¡no¡¡sense¡¡of¡¡moral¡¡degradation¡¡in¡¡this¡¡matterno¡¡troublesome¡¡emotion¡¡as¡¡to¡¡what¡¡was¡¡to¡¡flow¡¡from¡¡a¡¡relationship¡¡of¡¡this¡¡kind£»¡¡no¡¡worry¡¡as¡¡to¡¡her¡¡own¡¡soul£»¡¡sin£»¡¡social¡¡opinion£»¡¡or¡¡the¡¡like¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡was¡¡really¡¡interested¡¡in¡¡art¡¡and¡¡lifea¡¡pagan£»¡¡in¡¡fact¡£¡¡¡¡Some¡¡people¡¡are¡¡thus¡¡hardily¡¡equipped¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡is¡¡the¡¡most¡¡notable¡¡attribute¡¡of¡¡the¡¡hardier¡¡type¡¡of¡¡personalitiesnot¡¡necessarily¡¡the¡¡most¡¡brilliant¡¡or¡¡successful¡£¡¡¡¡You¡¡might¡¡have¡¡said¡¡that¡¡her¡¡soul¡¡was¡¡naively¡¡unconscious¡¡of¡¡the¡¡agony¡¡of¡¡others¡¡in¡¡loss¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡would¡¡have¡¡taken¡¡any¡¡loss¡¡to¡¡herself¡¡with¡¡an¡¡amazing¡¡equablenesssome¡¡qualms£»¡¡of¡¡course£»¡¡but¡¡not¡¡manybecause¡¡her¡¡vanity¡¡and¡¡sense¡¡of¡¡charm¡¡would¡¡have¡¡made¡¡her¡¡look¡¡forward¡¡to¡¡something¡¡better¡¡or¡¡as¡¡good¡£
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